During this time when the news is full of political upheaval and unrest I find myself longing for the good news that Jesus preached. Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom. *The Greek word for kingdom is basileia. It comes from the word which means king. A kingdom always requires a king.* The good news that Jesus preached was that “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17)! The kingdom was near because the king had come.
Jesus came not only with the proclamation of the kingdom, but He came with the power to heal. The kingdom of God is not the only kingdom that exists in the universe, there is another kingdom—the kingdom of Satan. **The Bible shows us that in ages past there was just one kingdom, the kingdom of God. But, through the rebellion of an angel named Lucifer (now known as Satan), another kingdom was established over which the Prince of Darkness rules.** Jesus came not only with the power to establish His kingdom, but also with the power to heal the suffering caused by the Prince of Darkness.
“The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the shadow of death, light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16). The light of the world had come at last to break the curse, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to give sight to those who had been blinded by the darkness. Jesus had come at last to set at liberty those who are oppressed.
“Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17)! When Jesus came, those who lived in darkness were presented with a choice. Those who had been slaves to the kingdom of Satan could at last find liberation. Jesus had come to break the curse of death and bring life. But in order to enter the kingdom of heaven there needed to be repentance.
Repentance means to change. Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven had come near, but He began by saying, “repent.” The good news is that the kingdom of heaven has come near. What is our response to the good news? No one can serve two kings.
*HELPS Word-studies
**Selwyn Hughes
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